She had to know, eventually. Now was as good and bad a time as ever. What if the worst happened and I never got the chance?
Do it now,said the voice.
My tongue felt too fat for my mouth. Would I be able to get the words out?
Shouts jolted me from my thoughts. Something violent was happening through the darkness ahead. Currents pulsed towards us. Bubbles, moving bodies. Something huge churned the water.
Everyone, both captives and guards, flocked to the surface. A moment passed before I realised what they were clinging to. Huge, solid, and man-made, the long keel of a sailboat undulated through the water.
“Mermaids, come forwards,” shouted the guards.
There was a scuffle as every female moved ahead. Deiopea and I exchanged a glance. If they were sending mermaids first, that meant—
“Come on! First ones to lure them get the free meal.”
“No,” whispered Meela.
Before I could stop her, she darted forwards.
“Mee!”
I chased after her. She shoved into the crowd and vanished.
The guards’ weapons cracked against the hull. Mermen pushed the swinging keel while mermaids pulled themselves up, disappearing through the surface.
I hurried through the crowd, searching frantically. I didn’t want Meela to see what was about to happen. Plus, if the humans had iron weapons…
“Stop!” I heard her scream. “They haven’t done anything!”
I spun in the direction of her voice. A merman in my path motioned upwards.
“Want a boost?”
I snarled. “Get out of my way.”
He raised his hands. “Hey, if you want to pass up a free meal—”
“Meela?!”Where was she?
The crowd thickened, trapping me between them and the hull.
Finally, I caught a glimpse of her at the keel, trying to stop a brunette mermaid from climbing it. I shot towards her and grabbed her arm.
“Mee, get out of there!”
The brunette shot us a terrified look, evidently afraid of being seen with anyone disobeying orders. She continued upwards.
Meela pulled away. “We can’t let these attacks keep happening.”
Someone bumped into her, and I drew her into me. We were much too close to the boat. How Meela expected to stop this from happening, I didn’t know—but she didn’t understand the risks of being so near to humans. I had to get her out of here.
Someone screamed. A sting exploded across my skin as something made of iron plunged into the waves. The scar on my waist seared. I recoiled, bumping into others.
“What is that?” said Meela, fearful now.
Burning flesh met my nose. The Battle for Eriana Kwai, the assassination attempts, every terrible memory I had burst to the front of my mind. My head clouded with panic, but I kept my hold on Meela tight. We had to get away before one of us was hit.
A gap opened below us. I dove, dragging Meela with me, but she struggled to swim back up, her attention on the crowd.
